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arXiv:1710.07796 · Journal of Physics Communications

An attractor dynamics in a non-Hermitian two-level system

C. Li, P. Wang, Lin Jin, Z Song

Published Oct 1, 2021• 4 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Exceptional points in non-Hermitian systems possess fascinating properties. We present an exactly solvable attractor dynamics for the first time from the two-level time-dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. This allows the evolution from a pure or mixed initial state to the coalescence state by varying the imaginary parameter along a specific diabatic passage. In contrast to a chaotic attractor that is ultrasensitive to initial conditions, the designed attractor is insensitive to initial conditions. The attractor-like behavior is applicable to several adiabatic processes.

DOI
10.1088/2399-6528/ac2c33

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Exceptional points in non-Hermitian systems possess fascinating properties. We present an exactly solvable attractor dynamics for the first time from the two-level time-dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. This allows the evolution from a pure or mixed initial state to the coalescence state by varying the imaginary parameter along a specific diabatic passage. In contrast to a chaotic attractor that is ultrasensitive to initial conditions, the designed attractor is insensitive to initial conditions. The attractor-like behavior is applicable to several adiabatic processes.
Nontrivial spectral properties of non-Hermitian systems can give rise to intriguing effects that lack counterparts in Hermitian systems. For instance, when dynamically varying system parameters along a path enclosing an exceptional point (EP), chiral mode conversion occurs. A recent study [Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 113802 (2024)] demonstrates the achievability of pure adiabatic state transfer by specifically selecting a trajectory in the system parameter space where the corresponding evolution operator exhibits a real spectrum while winding around an EP. However, the intended adiabatic state transfer becomes fragile when taking into account the effect of the nonadiabatic transition. In this work, we propose a scheme for achieving robust and rapid adiabatic state transfer in time-modulated two-level non-Hermitian systems by appropriately modulating the system Hamiltonian and time-evolution trajectory. Numerical simulations confirm that a complete adiabatic transfer can always be achieved even under nonadiabatic conditions after one period for different initialized adiabatic states, and the scheme remains insensitive to moderate fluctuations in control parameters. Therefore, this scheme offers alternative approaches for quantum-state engineering in non-Hermitian systems.
The conventional time-dependent perturbation theory in quantum mechanics is established within the framework of Hermitian Hamiltonians, applicable for describing quantum transitions and associated energy level responses in such systems. However, this theory has fundamental limitations when applied to non-Hermitian systems. Consequently, researchers have systematically extended time-dependent perturbation theory to non-Hermitian systems, establishing a corresponding mature framework. Building on this foundation, this study extends the theory to investigate the transition dynamics induced by non-Hermitian interactions in non-Hermitian Hamiltonian systems. We employ a biorthogonal basis representation for a three-level non-Hermitian system. This work investigates a system comprising an unperturbed static non-Hermitian Hamiltonian and a periodically driven time-dependent perturbation Hamiltonian. Taking the three-level system as a concrete example, we combine analytical methods with numerical simulations to solve and analyze its dynamical evolution equations. These complementary approaches reveal that when system parameters complete a full cycle around an exceptional point, the transitional behavior exhibits specific evolutionary patterns. In this system, quantum transition probabilities exhibit significant asymmetry and non-conservation that depend on the initial and final states, revealing inherent directional characteristics in the dynamical process. Furthermore, for a three-level, periodically driven non-Hermitian system with time-dependent perturbations, this asymmetry is even more pronounced, manifesting as a distinct disparity between forward and reverse transition probabilities. The periodic driving actively amplifies the asymmetry in the transition process. By designing the perturbation spectrum, selective manipulation of specific quantum states can be achieved. Moreover, transition probabilities can be significantly enhanced under resonance conditions, while non-Hermiticity further breaks the system's inherent symmetry, leading to substantial amplification of transitions in a single direction. By precisely tuning the drive frequency, interactions between specific coupling channels can be selectively enhanced or suppressed. The amplification of channel asymmetry by non-Hermitian properties provides a novel mechanism for directional control of quantum states and opens new pathways for realizing related quantum technologies.
An exceptional point (EP) is exclusive for non-Hermitian systems and distinct from that at a degeneracy point (DP), supporting intriguing dynamics which can be utilized to probe quantum phase transitions and prepare eigenstates in a Hermitian many-body system. In this paper, we investigate the transition from a DP for a Hermitian system to an EP driven by non-Hermitian terms. We present a theorem on the existence of a transition between a DP and EP for a general system. Specifically, one of twofold degenerate eigenstates of a Hermitian system becomes a coalescing state when a selected non-Hermitian term is added. The obtained EP is robust to the strength of non-Hermitian terms. We illustrate the theorem by an exactly solvable quasi-one-dimensional model, which allows for the existence of a transition between fully degenerate and exceptional spectra driven by non-Hermitian tunnelings in real and kkk spaces, respectively. We also study the EP dynamics for generating coalescing edge modes in Su-Schrieffer-Heeger-like models. This finding reveals the ubiquitous connection between DPs and EPs.
In this work, taking the most general non-Hermitian Hamiltonian without parity-time symmetry and with non-Hermitian off-diagonal elements into account, we study the exceptional points of the model system. We find that there exists an exceptional ellipse in theory, compared with the exceptional ring studied in non-Hermitian symmetry Hamiltonian, in which the parameters in the model Hamiltonian take particular values. We also report on the dynamics of the model Hamiltonian and symmetry Hamiltonian. We find that they display different dynamical behaviors under different parameters. Moreover, there exists an unstable behavior of the system. The unstable behavior has a surprising property by which the gain always dominates at long times no matter how small the gain is. This phenomenon enables the compensation for losses in dissipative systems and opens a wide range of applications in quantum optics, plasmonics, and optoelectronics, where the loss is inevitable but can be compensated by the gain.
Non-Hermitian systems are widespread in both classical and quantum physics. The dynamics of such systems has recently become a focal point of research, showcasing surprising behaviors that include apparent violation of the adiabatic theorem and chiral topological conversion related to encircling exceptional points (EPs). These have both fundamental interest and potential practical applications. Yet the current literature features a number of apparently irreconcilable results. Here we develop a general theory for slow evolution of non-Hermitian systems and resolve these contradictions. We prove an analog of the adiabatic theorem for non-Hermitian systems and generalize it in the presence of uncontrolled environmental fluctuations (noise). The effect of noise turns out to be crucial due to inherent exponential instabilities present in non-Hermitian systems. Disproving common wisdom, the end state of the system is determined by the final Hamiltonian only, and is insensitive to other details of the evolution trajectory in parameter space. Our quantitative theory, leading to transparent physical intuition, is amenable to experimental tests. It provides efficient tools to predict the outcome of the system's evolution, avoiding the need to follow costly time-evolution simulations. Our approach may be useful for designing devices based on non-Hermitian physics and may stimulate analyses of classical and quantum non-Hermitian-Hamiltonian dynamics, as well as that of quantum Lindbladian and hybrid-Liouvillian systems.